


Mr. Brightside

by IgnisTrigger



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Partial Novelization, Romance, Sexual Content, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-08
Updated: 2018-04-08
Packaged: 2019-04-20 10:24:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14258946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IgnisTrigger/pseuds/IgnisTrigger
Summary: Chrom had been wrong about many things in his life. She wasn't one of them.





	Mr. Brightside

**Author's Note:**

> _It started out as a kiss; how did it end up like this?_   
>  _It was only a kiss._   
>  _It was only a kiss._

“ _I suppose I’ve never really thought of you as a lady.”_

Chrom had been wrong about many things in life. From mistaking Sully’s gender when they were six years old to cursing out a particularly bigoted nobleman in the middle of a high-ranking council meeting (much to the chagrin of his older sister, who had made him formally apologize despite the fact that she had agreed with Chrom) not ten years later, the Prince of Ylisse knew he wasn’t infallible by any means.

However, as he stood there “like a slack-jawed village idiot,” as Robin would later put it, Chrom couldn’t help but think that he had never been more wrong in his life.

She stood in the metal tub, a deep flush coloring her cheeks and quickly traveling downward. Her long white hair, which was freed from the pigtails she usually wore, did nothing to protect her modesty. She was all perky breasts and slender curves, and it took him several seconds to shake himself out of his stupor and question why she was naked in the first place.

As it turned out, he had stumbled into the women’s bathing tent, and Robin was very much not amused.

Ignoring his repeated apologies, she quickly ushered him out of the private tent, her embarrassment still apparent through her irritated expression. Unsure of what to do with himself, Chrom waited several meters away from the tent’s entrance, feeling equally mortified. All he had wanted was to discuss tactics. The last thing he had expected to see was his friend—his _tactician_ —completely naked in what he had originally assumed was one of the meeting tents.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to erase the image from his mind. He had seen his share of scantily clad women before; in the poorest parts of Ylisse, some women made their coin through less than desirable means. His friend Vaike had dragged him into a gentleman’s club several years ago, and Chrom had quickly learned that there was nothing gentlemanly about the establishment. He had spent most of their short visit hiding his embarrassment from the flirtatious women who had been donning little more than smallclothes—and, of course, from Vaike, who would have never let him hear the end of it.

However, seeing a woman _completely_ sans clothing was something else entirely. Especially a woman so—

“All right, you!”

Chrom’s indecent train of thought was thankfully interrupted by the sound of Robin’s angry voice. He spun around to find her fully clothed, arms folded crossly over her chest. She did not look pleased.

“What sort of idiot blunders straight into the women’s bathing tent?” she demanded, the blush from earlier still present on her face.

“I’m sorry!” Chrom sputtered, his own cheeks coloring shamefully. Unintentional though it had been, he had invaded her privacy. She had every right to be mad. “Very, very sorry. I misheard you, I swear it. I had no intention of peeping.”

Robin considered him for a moment, a scowl on her face. Then, having apparently decided that his apology was sincere, she sighed. “Just… Fine. Apology accepted. Now what was so damned important?”

Relieved, Chrom immediately began asking her questions about tomorrow’s route. As she gave him one of her usual detailed opinions, he couldn’t help but think that this was exactly the way their relationship was supposed to be: light and semi-professional, without any silly gender differences coming into play.

Or so he thought. As Robin began explaining the benefits of taking the hill path as opposed to the main road, Chrom suddenly found himself very aware of the way her mouth (had it always looked so soft?) curved around her words and how her hair, still damp from her bath, clung to her skin.

“—path through the hills,” Robin was saying. “The main road—”

_Fair skin colored by a pretty blush—_

“—easier, but we’d be more exposed—”

_Perky breasts leading to a slender waistline, which widened at her hips and thighs—_

“—encountered foes.”

Oh, Naga, help him.

“Right,” he said, trying very hard not to think about those hips and thighs. “That’s what I was thinking. Thanks for the advice. And, er… Yes! Well, that’s it, I guess! So...Yes. Bye.”

 _Smooth, Chrom,_ he thought, stifling a groan.

Robin, however, just smiled. “Goodbye.”

After Chrom had stammered through another apology and his second and third cringe-worthy goodbyes, a single thought ran through his head:

Though she oftentimes didn’t act like it, Robin was most _definitely_ a lady.

 

~*~*~

 

“Chrom?”

He had heard the sound of his tent flap opening before his name left her lips, but he flinched all the same. Ever since he had mistakenly walked in on Robin in the bath house, he felt an awkwardness that was hard to ignore whenever they were alone together in an enclosed space—which, at that moment, they very much were.

Taking a deep breath, Chrom slowly turned around, steeling himself for yet another uncomfortable encounter. However, when he saw the serious expression on Robin’s face, his own discomfort was suddenly the last thing on his mind.

“Robin. Is something the matter?”

She shook her head and took a few steps further into the tent, letting the flap close behind her. “No, nothing like that. I just wanted to thank you for the other night.”

Chrom’s brows knit together in confusion. “Did something happen the other night?”

“Aside from your sister nearly getting assassinated?” she said, raising an eyebrow. “Yes. Before we rushed back into the castle, you were telling me about your father and Emmeryn. I just wanted to thank you for sharing that with me.”

Her answer only perplexed him more. “Er, you’re welcome, but why are you thanking me for that?”

Robin seemed to choose her words carefully. “Well, it was so personal, but you trusted me enough to tell me about it. I know you said that you considered me a friend, but I truly felt like one at that moment.”

“I’m glad you feel that way,” Chrom said, the corners of his lips turning up. “Though to be honest, I should be thanking you for listening. I poured out some very heavy thoughts that night.”

“Not at all,” Robin replied, shaking her head. “I was happy to listen, and I consider you to be a good friend as well.” She paused for a moment, then smiled ruefully. “I only wish I could remember something about my past so that I had something to offer _you_.”

At that moment, her expression was so reminiscent of a crestfallen child that Chrom’s first instinct was to reach out and ruffle her hair, but something told him that wouldn’t be well-received. That, and he had never seen Robin so down before, especially about her amnesia. He hadn’t even been aware that she was so bothered by it. Maybe he wasn’t as good a friend as she considered him to be, he thought sadly.

“Nonsense,” Chrom said, his expression turning serious. “You already have plenty to offer, Robin. Because of you, we haven’t suffered a single casualty in this war. We wouldn’t have gotten this far if not for you. You’re invaluable to the Shepherds.”

Robin’s brow furrowed. “I’m valuable as a tactician, maybe, but what do I have to offer as a friend? You all have memories to reminisce about, both good and bad. You can talk about your past experiences to bring you closer together. I don’t have a past to talk about. I don’t even remember who _my_ father was.”

“Robin...” Chrom trailed off. Clearly this was something that had been plaguing her mind for some time now. For once, he knew he had to choose his words carefully. “Listen to me. Bonds aren’t created just from talking about the past. They’re also created in the present. When you have my back in battle, I know I can count on you more and more each time. When you talk about a strategy book you just read or get excited that bear is for dinner, I feel like I know you a little better. And whoever your father was, I’m sure he was a great, honorable man for raising a woman like you.

“One day, everything that’s happening now will become a memory for us to talk about. Until then, we’ll just have to talk about the _future_ , not the past.”

To his disappointment, Robin looked away, and he was certain he’d said something to upset her. He was about to open his mouth to apologize when she looked up with glossy eyes and gave him a watery smile.

“Thank you, Chrom.”

He swore he felt his heart skip a beat.

 

~*~*~

 

Sometimes the pressure of this war was a heavy burden to bear.

Robin tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and stifled yet another yawn. Since Emmeryn had been captured, she had been spending most of her nights trying to formulate a strategy before she and Chrom led the cavalry into Plegia. She was expecting Basilio’s spy to return any day with word of the Exalt’s execution date, and though she had figured out the main parts of her plan, she still had several smaller details to work out before she could consider their army to be battle-ready.

However, when the first hints of sunlight had begun peaking over the horizon earlier that morning, Robin had found herself too sleep-deprived to think tactically anymore. She had attempted to take a cold bath to wake herself up, but the truth was, she was simply too exhausted to continue strategizing without sleep to stimulate her brain. Lissa had made her promise to take a nap, and Robin had agreed— _after_ she checked the armory. Though she wasn’t in tip-top mental shape, she could still do something for the army.

 _The lances and axes are kept around here somewhere_ , she mused, her eyes darting back and forth in search of the arms storage tent. She finally came across a large, plain tent—an obvious choice to store weaponry. It was spacious enough to contain their inventory, but wouldn’t draw too much attention should their camp be raided.

This logic was the reason Robin was more than a little confused when she walked in to find not axes, but a very naked Chrom standing in the center of a silver bathing tub, his muscular back facing her.

Before she could fully process the scene in front of her, Robin let out a high-pitched shriek, alerting Chrom to her presence. He spun around—oh, gods, _why_ did he have to spin around?—to face her, looking more alarmed than humiliated.

“Robin?” he exclaimed, brows furrowed together in confusion. “Where’d _you_ come from?”

His tactician responded with another surprised yell. He clearly lacked any kind of shame. How could he just stand there, all lean-figured and chiseled, and not have the decency to cover up?

“Blazes, what are _you_ screaming for?” asked Chrom, wincing at the volume of her voice. “If anyone should be screaming, it’s me, isn’t it?”

Had Robin been well-rested, she would haven realized the logic in his argument. However, as it was, the only thing she realized was that her technical employer—the same employer whose sister she was desperately trying to save—was seemingly unperturbed by the fact that he was _standing naked in front of her._

So, naturally, she responded by grabbing the nearest bar of soap and launching it in his direction.

It connected with his shoulder, and he let out a startled yelp. Without thinking, Robin quickly grabbed the potion bottle crudely filled with homemade shampoo and threw it at him, along with a few accusations about his level of shame. Soon she was throwing projectile after projectile, much to the discomfort of the _still-naked_ prince.

Several bottles and endless protests later, Robin found herself waiting outside the tent, feeling more than a little remorseful for her actions. She’d been the one to walk in on him, so she’d had no right to react the way she did.

Finally, Chrom emerged from the bathing tent, fully-clothed and more than a little disheveled. At this point, there was little else Robin could do but apologize profusely. She didn’t know what had come over her; between her stress levels and lack of sleep, something had clearly snapped.

Thankfully, he took the ordeal in stride, even going so far as to call it the gods’ justice for having previously walked in on her. She wasn’t sure she _completely_ agreed, but she wasn’t going to question his forgiveness.

“In any case, look at the bright side: We’ve seen each other naked now, right?” Chrom said, as though it were the most natural thing in the world. “So I guess we’ve got nothing left to hide. In a way, we’re closer than ever.”

Robin flushed at the memory of toned abdominal muscles and arms that were clearly the product of many years of sword fighting. There was nothing appropriate about their unorthodox way of getting to know each other, but when he referred to them as ‘partners in crime,’ she couldn’t help but join in his infectious enthusiasm. It warmed her heart to know that he was able to overlook her lack of a history and took her as she was.

“Well, partner, your secret’s safe with me,” she replied, unable to hide her smile.

As he turned to walk away, Robin found her gaze fixated on his retreating back, and she couldn’t help but wonder why her heart was still pounding so hard.

 

~*~*~

 

“ _Chrom… Listen to me. Look at me.”_

_He silently lifted his head so that his eyes, still looking forlorn from the recent battle, met hers._

_Robin laid a hand on his shoulder. “I was powerless once, too, remember? And yes, alone, I don’t think either one of us is half the person your sister was. But together...maybe we can be something more. If you fall, I’ll be right there to pull you back up. When you fight for your sister’s ideals, I’ll be by your side.” Her expression, which had been filled with renewed determination, softened. “You don’t have to become your sister, you know. You can still be true to yourself. You just have to give people hope in whatever way you can.”_

_Chrom looked pained. “And what if I can’t? What if I’m not worthy of her ideals? Robin, what if I drag you down with me?”_

_The corners of Robin’s mouth lifted ever so slightly in reassurance. “If you aren’t worthy, you’ll keep at it until you are. And if we both fall down, well, that’s what friends are for, isn’t it?”_

Hours later, Robin could still hear her own voice echoing throughout the throne room, steeled with more determination than she knew she could muster. She could still hear the voices of the Shepherds, who offered more words of encouragement to their prince and leader. Most importantly, she could still see Chrom lift his head with renewed spirit and vow to put an end to the Mad King’s reign of terror. There had been a fire in his blue eyes, one she hadn’t seen since before they had marched through the desert sands with their would-be rescue team.

This time, however, the flame she saw held less of the recklessness he’d possessed when they first met, and more of a steely determination befitting someone of his station. It was a fire that wanted justice, not revenge, for his sister and his people. For a moment, Robin had found herself lost in its flicker, filled with pride and an emotion she couldn’t quite place.

(Except she could, and right now, it was the last thing she wanted to think about.)

The Shepherds had dispersed after Chrom’s speech, each retreating to their respective tents to prepare for tomorrow’s march. Conversely, Robin had decided to stay close to the Feroxi stronghold, circling its perimeter in an attempt to clear her head. She had spent the last several hours scanning maps of the Ylissean-Plegian border, only stopping when she realized that she could no longer make her eyes focus on what was on the parchment. However, she couldn’t bring herself to try to sleep just yet. Though her eyes were tired, her mind was reeling with endless possible tactics she would utilize during the upcoming battle. Any attempt at slipping into unconsciousness would be met with failure, she knew.

When she had reached the southernmost corner of the fortress, Robin came to a screeching halt. Though it was faint, she could hear the sound of approaching footsteps around the corner, inching closer and closer to her location. All of the Shepherds were sleeping soundly in their tents; had an enemy gotten past their border patrol and infiltrated the camp? More importantly, how had they managed to accomplish such a feat? Robin’s positioning had been flawless. Had she overlooked something?

Pressing her back flat against the wall of the building, Robin slowly unsheathed her sword as a number of possible scenarios ran through her brain. Judging by the brisk gait, whoever was approaching hadn’t been alerted to her presence yet.

Good, she thought, tightening her grip on the sword’s hilt. This would give her the element of surprise.

Before her would-be assailant had reached the corner, however, the footsteps came to a sudden halt. Robin, unwilling to lose the upper hand, lunged forward, her blade cutting through the night air with enough force to send the trespasser staggering backward. Her intent wasn't to kill them; at least not yet. First she would learn their identity, then she would interrogate them for information.

Or so her plan had been. She felt the impact before the sound of clashing steel filled the space between them. Her Steel Sword had collided with another familiar blade, one she had seen in countless battles before.

Dark eyes locked with azure blue for a brief moment before she exclaimed, "Chrom!"

"Robin!" he said at the same time. Lowering his Falchion, he ran his free hand through his hair and let out a relieved sigh. "Gods, you scared me half to death. Why are you skulking around the camp at this hour?"

"I could ask you the same thing," she retorted, sheathing her sword. She crossed her arms over her chest. "And I was hardly 'skulking'. I just decided to take a walk. I...can’t sleep."

"Neither can I,” Chrom admitted, sliding Falchion back into its scabbard. “This is the biggest battle we've faced so far. I suppose it's only natural to worry."

Robin twisted a lock of white hair between her fingers in agitation. "I've gone over the plan countless times. I've run every possible scenario through my head to make sure there are no holes, and then I ran through them again at our war meetings. I'm just worried it's not enough."

“You’ve done more than enough. I was there through all of those meetings, remember? You went over every possible scenario and chose the one that will bring us to victory. I have full faith in you.”

“I wish I had that same faith in myself,” she admitted, her shoulders sagging dejectedly. “After our last battle, I—”

“That wasn’t your fault,” interjected Chrom. “No one could have predicted that.”

“Maybe not, but the loss still stings. You know that more than I do.”

Chrom opened his mouth as if to refute her comment, but quickly closed it again. It was just as well. Though he had assured her that his sister’s death wasn’t her fault, she couldn’t help but shoulder part of the guilt. She supposed it was something that would heal with time, but at the moment, the last thing she wanted to do was dwell on it. Of the few memories she had, the sight of Emmeryn’s falling body was one she wouldn’t mind forgetting.

The silence stretched between them for what felt like hours before Chrom spoke up again. “While I was patrolling, I found something I thought you might like. It may put your mind at ease. Care to take a walk with me?”

“What is it?”

“It’s a surprise.”

Robin hesitated for only a moment, then nodded.

They walked in companionable silence, their eyes focused on the path ahead of them. Chrom was nearly a head taller than she was, his gait much quicker; she had to take a step and a half for every step he took in order to keep up with him. Their footsteps padded quietly against the gravel, very out of sync, and Robin couldn’t help but wonder where he was taking her. He had said it was something she would like, a thought that sent as much warmth through her as it did curiosity. What had he seen that had made him think of her?

As the minutes ticked by, Robin noticed that the trees began to line the path more sparsely, contrary to the thick forest she had picked for camping grounds. Just when she was starting to worry that they would be more exposed to possible enemy attacks, Chrom spoke up.

“It’s right through there,” he said, pointing to what looked like an opening between the trees ahead of them. They leaned inward, almost as if creating an archway. As they walked underneath it, Robin had the feeling that the scene in front of her was what Chrom had wanted to show her.

The path had led to a small clearing surrounded by a wall of great oaks, which left it well-concealed. Moonlight poured down from the sky, reflecting off of the lake ahead of them. It illuminated the entire area, and for the first time that evening, Robin could see Chrom’s face clearly. His gaze, which had been fixated on the scene in front of them, was now turned to meet hers.

“So, what do you think?” he asked. His eyes bore into her as though he were searching for more than just an answer, and Robin found she had to look away. She kept her line of sight focused on the lake for a long moment before turning to face him again.

“It’s beautiful,” she breathed.

Chrom’s eyes widened briefly, then his entire expression softened. He regarded her silently before answering, “Yeah. It is.”

His eyes never left hers as the words fell from his lips, and Robin couldn’t tell if he was still referring to the lake. Her lips parted involuntarily, and she could feel a warmth begin to creep up her neck.

Chrom, having apparently sensed the change in atmosphere, answered her question by clearing his throat and turning to face the body of water before them. “Th-The lake, I mean. The lake is beautiful.”

Robin quickly followed suit and turned her body away from him, inwardly hoping that he hadn’t noticed the flush coloring her cheeks. “Of course.”

However, as they stood there in companionable silence, only one thought ran through Robin’s mind:

He had said the water had reminded him of her. Did that mean he thought she was beautiful, too?

 

~*~*~

 

It was finally over.

Chrom glanced at the battlefield, a serious expression on his face. What was once a lush stretch of land that served as the borderlines of Ylisse and Plegia was now nothing more than a scarred, ugly reminder of the war that the latter had initiated.

 _And for what?_ He couldn’t help but wonder.

At one point, he would have assumed that all Plegians were war-mongers who had no other purpose than to destroy. It was his late sister that had made him realize that nearly everyone wanted peace. Men like King Gangrel and his own late father—men who were driven by a lust for power above all else—they were the ones who were threats to the desires of their own people.

“ _You_ are _me.”_ Gangrel’s venomous words echoed through his head, and Chrom quickly silenced them. He knew he wasn’t as forgiving as Emmeryn had been, but his reasons for fighting were nothing like Gangrel’s. He sought to protect, not to destroy.

 _And besides_ , he thought as he turned to look at the woman standing beside him, _should I ever stray from that path, I_ _have someone to_ _put_ _me_ _back_ _in line_.

Robin’s gaze was also locked on the field in front of them, but her expression bore only a fraction of the somber contemplation that his likely did. Everything about her, from the accomplished look on her face to the way her body held none of the rigidity that it had in recent months, told him that she felt little more than utter relief that the war was over, and this time, she had gotten everyone out alive.

Chrom instantly felt guilty. She had been recruited into the Shepherds to direct their battles, not fight an international war. As far as any of them knew, she didn’t even hail from Ylisse.

“Robin,” he said softly.

She turned to look at him, seemingly surprised that he had spoken after such a lengthy silence. “What’s wrong, Chrom? You look so serious.”

“I...” He faltered. “I think I owe you an apology. This wasn’t your war to fight.”

Robin tilted her head, a corner of her lips turning up in amusement. “But I chose to fight it.”

Chrom’s expression softened. It was hard to believe that an amnesiac found in a field by total strangers had come to care for them enough to fight their war, but that was exactly what had happened, wasn’t it? He had earned more than just her friendship; he’d been given her loyalty as well.

(In return, he had lost his heart to her. He supposed it was a fair price to pay.)

“All I’ve been thinking about is stopping Gangrel, no matter the cost. Even my own life would not have been too high a price to pay.”

Robin looked alarmed. “It would have been for us! And for me.” The second part she said softly, and Chrom felt his heart skip a beat as he considered all the things that one line could mean—and the one thing he hoped it meant. His mind returned to the previous night, when their faces had been covered in moonlight and the air had been filled with things left unsaid. Her eyes, so dark and filled with knowledge, had held something exciting that he hadn’t been able to place then. She wore that same expression now, and Chrom knew that it was now or never.

With trepidation, he continued. “I’ve been thinking a lot lately, about everything. And about you, Robin. In many ways, you’re the best fighter I’ve ever known. And the best friend. You’re a special woman, and I...” He took a deep breath. “I wonder if you think of me as more than your leader?”

She was silent for a moment, which did nothing to calm his nerves. Finally, she cleared her throat, a blush coloring her cheeks. “I think of you as a great man, and...dear to my heart.”

That was all the encouragement Chrom needed. He pressed on, unable to contain himself or his throbbing heart. “I never want to let you go, Robin. Does that make me selfish?”

“If so, then let me be selfish, too. I would be with you, always.”

Chrom felt a warmth spread throughout his entire body, and he took a moment to drink in the sight of her. Fair skin, smudged with dirt from their previous battle. Even fairer hair, windswept and barely contained in the hair ties she usually wore it up in. An aged Plegian cloak, which was practically falling off of one shoulder.

He had never seen anyone more beautiful.

It took him a moment to steel his resolve, but he knew he had to press on. He and Robin had met under unusual circumstances, but lives had been made from far less. If there was anything his sister had taught him, it was to follow his heart, and his heart had desired Robin since before the war had even begun.

Chrom managed to let those words pour out of him, but when it came time for him to propose, he found the words difficult to get out. “What I want to ask you… Well, what I mean is… Will you marry me?”

Robin clearly didn’t mind, because her answer was immediate. “Yes.”

It was all Chrom could do not to pick her up and spin her around. With a single word, she’d made him the happiest man in the realm. He wished their union would be immediate, but he knew that his first duty was to heal the scars of his people. Thankfully, Robin was understanding, and with her knack for planning, he knew they would be able to rebuild the halidom.

“I can’t help but think back to the day we first met,” Robin said, bringing Chrom back to the present. She was smiling. “Strange, isn’t it, the way fate brought it together? I am a lucky woman to have met you, and luckier still now.”

It was Chrom’s turn to smile. “I feel the same way. I know together we can bring joy back to the royal palace. I’ll do everything I can to make the castle a happy home for us...my love.”

“My love,” she repeated, as if she were testing the way the words felt on her lips. It was endearing, and this time, Chrom couldn’t restrain himself. He enveloped her in his arms, pulling her close enough that he was sure she could hear his heart pounding.

Robin let out a sound of surprise, but she was quick to relax in his embrace. Her own arms wrapped tightly around his torso. They stood that way for a long time before Robin spoke up again.

“Um, Chrom? Not that I’m an expert on such things, but isn’t it customary for the proposer to give the person they’re proposing to a ring?”

Chrom immediately felt all the blood rush from his face. Gods damn him, he’d forgotten the ring back at the castle! How could he have been so careless? More importantly, how was he going to explain this to his new wife-to-be?

“W-Well, you see,” he stammered, “that ring was passed down through my family for generations. I felt the safest place for it was back at the castle.”

“You forgot it, didn’t you?” Deadpan. She’d seen right through him.

“...Yes.”

Chrom had a feeling she was going to tease him mercilessly about this the entire way home. He wouldn’t have it any other way.

 

~*~*~

 

Robin had never imagined that the first wedding she would attend would be her own. Much less did she imagine that it would be one of royal proportions, attended by nearly everyone in the halidom.

It had been an extravagant affair. Lissa, ecstatic that her brother had finally chosen a bride, had insisted that she be involved with the planning. Though the royal wedding planners—and Chrom—had been reluctant, Lissa hadn’t taken no for an answer, and her input had been well-received. Everything had been more beautiful than Robin had pictured, and she couldn’t have thanked her new sister-in-law enough.

 _Sister-in-law_. The fact that she had one now was still such a new feeling. Though she had begun this journey as an orphan and an only child, through her marriage to Chrom, she had gained a husband _and_ a sister. She was part of a real family now. It was almost surreal.

In the absence of a father, Frederick had offered to walk her down the aisle. “You have gained my trust and my blessing, milady,” he had said, dropping to one knee in respect to his queen-to-be. “If it pleases you, allow me to be the one to give you to his majesty, the Exalt.”

Robin’s eyes had filled with tears, but she’d willed herself not to cry before accepting his offer.

The only ones who had been opposed to their union were members of the council (and Tharja, but Robin tried not to think about that), who had found it unacceptable that the new exalt had taken a wife with no pedigree or history to speak of, and who wore what appeared to be Plegian attire. Chrom had had none of it, and Robin had ignored their scornful glances as she’d walked down the aisle.

As it had turned out, she wouldn’t have been able to focus on them if she’d tried. The moment she had begun her walk down the violet carpet, her eyes had met Chrom’s. At the sight of her, Chrom’s mouth had dropped open a fraction of an inch. He had looked positively enamored, which had sent a rush of color to Robin’s cheeks.

He had looked handsome as well. The royal blacksmith had made him new armor to commemorate both his coronation and his marriage. He’d been adorned in thick silver and gold plating, which had been molded to fit his torso and limbs. Beneath the armor, she’d seen a bodysuit, which had appeared to be made out of the same navy material as the outfit he wore while fighting with the Shepherds. Completing the look was a large, floor-length blue cape, which he had worn proudly on his shoulders. In that moment, he had truly looked like a king.

Robin herself had almost felt like royalty in her wedding attire. She’d been dressed in a floor-length white gown, which had been cinched at the waist before opening up into a wide, lace skirt. The sleeves, also lace, had started just below her shoulders and had fallen to the backs of her hands. To offset her already fair appearance and match Chrom’s outfit, the seamstress had sewn blue lace into the hem, neckline, and bodice of her dress. Robin’s hair had been pulled back into an elegant bun, exposing her neck and the gold chain that had been hung from it.

Even now, as she stood in the full-length mirror in Chrom’s palace quarters, she could hardly believe that the person staring back was her.

“You look beautiful.”

Her husband’s voice came from behind her, bringing her back to the present. She saw him first in the mirror’s reflection before turning to face him.

“You’ve said that about eight times today,” she reminded him, unable to hide her smile.

“I can’t help it,” Chrom admitted. He took a few steps toward her and brushed a stray lock from her face. “Looking at you makes me feel like the luckiest man alive.”

At this, Robin’s cheeks colored. She reached up and placed her hand over his, which was now cradling her face. “I feel lucky as well. You look so dashing.”

Chrom regarded her for a long moment, seemingly in conflict with himself. Before she could ask him what he was thinking about, he reached up with his free hand and removed one of the pins from her hair. She could feel the bun begin to loosen, and when he removed another two from the same area, her locks began to fall to her shoulder.

As far as she could remember, Robin had never slept with a man before. However, she wasn’t naive. She had read enough books to know what the longing in his eyes meant, and it stirred an excitement in the pit of her stomach. She lifted a hand to help him remove the pins one by one until all of her snow white hair was spilling over her bare shoulders.

She took the pins from him and set them down on his—their—bureau, where she had also placed her veil upon entering the room. Robin turned her attention toward Chrom again and, with some trepidation, unhooked his cape from the shoulder pads of his armor. It fell to the floor with a light thud.

Chrom leaned forward hesitantly, his mouth only inches away from hers. He searched her eyes for confirmation before pressing his lips to hers softly. Robin returned the kiss gently, just as she had at the altar.

They pulled apart for only a fraction of a second before Chrom kissed her again, this time with more fervor. Robin sighed into the kiss and reached up to place a hand on his shoulder. She almost frowned when her hand touched cool metal, and Chrom pulled away to articulate the exact thought that was running through her mind.

“We...should get comfortable.”

She nodded wordlessly.

It was a joint effort that took several minutes, but together they were able to remove his armor, leaving Chrom in nothing but the bodysuit beneath it. He turned her around and began fumbling with the strings and buttons of her dress, which was unnecessarily complicated, in Robin’s opinion. Finally, her dress fell to the floor, leaving her in nothing but her smallclothes. She stepped out of the pool of fabric at her feet and turned to face him, feeling more than a little exposed.

She instantly felt silly. They had seen each other naked before. Compared to that, this was nothing.

Chrom, apparently sensing how she felt, went to remove the rest of his clothing. Robin couldn’t help but stare as he stripped down to his smallclothes as well. His abdominal muscles were just as defined as she remembered them, his arms and chest just as toned. She had done her best not to think about them after the first time she had seen him naked, but now, there was no reason to hold back.

He appeared just as entranced. He took in the sight of her body as though he were trying to memorize it, which sent another shiver of excitement through Robin. Chrom closed the space between them and kissed her again, pulling her body flush against his. She wrapped her arms around his neck and parted her lips, giving his tongue access to her mouth. He ran his tongue alongside hers almost hesitantly at first, then kissed her hard.

This, unfortunately, led to their teeth clashing none too gently. They pulled apart, each clutching their mouth in pain.

“I’m so sorry,” Chrom apologized, looking more than a little embarrassed. His voice was muffled through his fingers, which did nothing to hide the redness creeping into his cheeks. “Are you all right?”

Robin stared at him for a long moment until finally, couldn’t help herself. She began to laugh in earnest, all previous tension instantly draining from her body. Though Chrom looked mildly offended at first (which only made her laugh harder), he soon joined in. By the time they were done, any embarrassment had completely dissipated.

“Come here, you dummy,” she said in between giggles, and this time, she initiated the kiss.

Within minutes, their smallclothes were tossed haphazardly across the floor. Chrom led her to the four-post canopy bed, drinking in the sight of her. From her position beneath him, she could see that he was erect and ready for her. A wave of desire ran through her body, making the empty space between her legs almost ache for him.

Chrom pressed his mouth to her neck and left soft kisses all the way down to her bare breasts. His mouth wrapped around a pert nipple, causing Robin’s breath to hitch. His tongue danced around it, and her back arched upward wantonly. He repeated this on her other breast, then moved upward so that they were face to face.

Robin took this opportunity to reach down and wrap her hand around his penis. As she began stroking him up and down, his breathing started coming out in short, heavy gasps. Using one hand to prop himself up, Chrom reached down and inserted a finger into her vagina. She gasped loudly as he massaged her walls, his fingers slipping in and out rhythmically. She could feel how wet she was just from his touch. She nearly whimpered when he pulled out.

He was leaning over her again, eyes half-lidded and meeting her gaze intensely. His blue hair was ruffled from where she had run her fingers through earlier, his chiseled body shining with sweat.

She had never wanted him more than she did now.

“I love you,” Chrom said huskily.

In that moment, everything felt right. Robin may have met him under the most unusual circumstances, but he had given her his trust. He had given her a home. He had given her his friendship, and now, his love.

She was the wind at his back and the sword at his side.

He was her best friend. Her partner in crime. Her other half.

 _Chrom_.

“I love you,” breathed Robin.

He finally filled the empty space between her thighs, and Robin saw stars.

**Author's Note:**

> This has been a WIP since August. I finally buckled down and finished it over the past few weeks, and oh, man, could I tell I was rusty. Those descriptions didn't come as easily as they used to. It was only supposed to be two to three thousand words long, and somehow it ended up being this monster of a one-shot.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
